As a preliminary to the shortly starting ACCESS conference and summer school in Abuja, we have asked some attendees – among them ACCESS team members and PhDs – about their thoughts and expectations about the upcoming event. Here are the answers of the second three interviewees:
Robertson Klaingar,
ACCESS Coordinator, Benin
1.) In which role/position do you attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria and what do you deliver? I will attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria as the ACCESS Coordinator from Benin Republic. During this event, I will have the opportunity to engage in workshops related to the ACCESS project. These sessions will provide a platform to learn and share Beninese experiences and strategies in promoting career skills and employability with others as well as learn from them. 2.) What are your expectations of this Conference/Summer School in regard of exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project? My expectations revolve around the exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project. I anticipate a rich learning environment where I can gather insights from other participants, coordinators and ACCESS board members from various countries. This includes learning their approaches, best practices, and success stories. By actively collaborating and engaging with colleagues at the event, I believe I will acquire knowledge to help enhance the impact of the ACCESS project, ultimately improving our ability to address the needs of students and graduates. 3.) What means the ACCESS project to you and what do you think, makes it so special as a project? The ACCESS project holds immense personal significance to me as the Benin Coordinator. It represents an avenue to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals by equipping them with essential career skills and enhancing their employability. What makes this project truly special is its focus on collaboration and the transference of ideas between different countries. This international cooperation allows us to tap into a rich pool of knowledge, enabling us to develop innovative approaches, effectively empower the beneficiaries of the ACCESS project and contribute to their long-term success. 4.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference/Summer School? The upcoming Conference/Summer School is brimming with exciting events that I am eagerly looking forward to. Among the highlights are the keynote address on cultivating new frontiers in employability research, which promises to provide valuable insights into cutting-edge approaches. The panel discussions on promoting university graduates’ employability will be a perfect platform to engage in stimulating conversations with industry experts. The workshops focusing on enhancing e-teaching and soft skills development offer practical strategies that I can implement in Benin to empower our students and graduates. Additionally, I am thrilled about the parallel plenary sessions, as they provide ample opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking. Finally, the suggested excursions will not only allow me to explore the cultural and artistic richness of Abuja but also provide a chance for informal discussions and building connections with colleagues from around the world. |
Dr. Ralph Nyadu-Addo,
ACCESS Coordinator, Ghana
1.) In which role/position do you attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria and what do you deliver? I will be attending as coordinator and leader of the Ghana delegation. Also co-presenting a paper. 2.) What are your expectations of this Conference/Summer School in regard of exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project? I am looking forward to learn more about new trends and innovative ways of addressing the challenges on graduate employability in Africa. 3.) What means the ACCESS project to you and what do you think, makes it so special as a project? ACCESS means a lot to me personally and also to KNUST. Its a unique platform to interact with learned people on issues of employability. 4.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference/Summer School? The results of the various PhD research on employability. How alumni can help promote employability and University Business Linkages. |
Wyatt Constantine,
ACCESS Coordinator (research pillar), Germany
1.) In which role/position do you attend the Conference/Summer School in Nigeria and what do you deliver? I will attend in my role as Coordinator for the ACCESS research pillar. I will also hopefully be presenting a paper on the theoretical role of the informal economy. 2.) What are your expectations of this Conference/Summer School in regard of exchange and mutual development of the ACCESS project? We will hopefully make some progress towards our Handbook of employability, and perhaps widen our network a bit as well. 3.) What means the ACCESS project to you and what do you think, makes it so special as a project? The central focus of the project is most certainly germane, as the question of graduate unemployability will only become more salient in the years to come. 4.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference/Summer School? It will be interesting to hear some perspectives from the Nigerian academics concerning unemployment and employability skills. I have the feeling at times that we occupy very different intellectual/theoretical positions on this topic, so it will be interesting to see how the debate develops. |
Stay tuned – there are more to come shortly…